The rules Dave Alvin has followed throughout his 24 years as a solo artist were discarded during the creation of his 11th album, Eleven Eleven. For the first time in his career he wrote songs while touring and recorded during breaks on his tours in 2010 with the Guilty Women. Eleven Eleven features three duets: Phil and Dave on the simmering blues "What's Up With Your Brother"; Dave and Christy McWilson from the Guilty Women on the gentle country number "Manzanita" and the whimsical song, "Two Lucky Bums," the final recording of Dave and his best friend, the late Chris Gaffney. The rest of the material is rich in stories that stretch from R&B royalty to labor history to Harlan County in Kentucky.